In this episode of Pillow Talk Sessions, Suraiya Comunello, Chief Marketing Officer at Nido Living, joins hosts Kristian Lupinski and Jessica Gillingham to share how the brand is reshaping purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) across Europe. With 12 years of sector experience and a strategic marketing background, Suraiya offers a thoughtful, research-backed look at how Nido is redefining what student living means in today’s market.
Nido Living currently operates 4,000 beds across Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands, with plans to expand to 13,000 by the end of the year through the acquisition of Livenza. This growth solidifies Nido’s position as one of Iberia’s leading PBSA platforms. Backed by CCPP since its acquisition last year, Nido has the scale and momentum to set a new standard across the sector.
At the heart of Nido’s approach are four core pillars: service, wellbeing, sustainability, and community. These pillars are shaped by extensive student research and directly influence everything from interior design to programming. Biophilic design plays a central role, incorporating natural light, calming color palettes, and transparent common areas that reduce anxiety and create inviting shared spaces.
Nido’s wellbeing strategy goes beyond design. In partnership with psychologist Dr. Tara Quinn, the company has launched a four-year wellbeing program that includes regular surveys, on-site team training, and a dedicated wellbeing hub. The goal is to treat wellbeing not as a bonus, but as a foundational part of the resident experience. From yoga sessions to gaming nights, community volunteering, and support-focused events, the program reflects Nido’s commitment to both emotional and social connection.
The episode also explores cultural differences in how students choose housing. In the UK, students often book accommodation up to a year in advance, making independent decisions early. In Spain and Portugal, however, booking tends to be a family-led process, requiring more time and personal reassurance. This creates a unique marketing challenge, especially when trust is a barrier in markets where residents prefer to see the final product before committing.
Performance at Nido is measured by more than occupancy alone, though it remains the primary KPI. The brand is the only PBSA operator currently working with the Global Student Living Index to benchmark its resident experience through real-time feedback and external validation. With nine award nominations last month alone, the strategy appears to be working.
In Valencia and Madrid, Nido is taking things a step further by blending student accommodation with hotel services. Using dual licensing, these properties offer flexible stays while maintaining clear boundaries—student-only study rooms, for example, alongside curated shared spaces. Teams with hospitality backgrounds are brought in to run these properties, helping deliver a hotel-quality experience while keeping students at the center. Within a year, this hybrid model has already achieved a 4.5-star service rating.
Suraiya also sheds light on the tech landscape of the PBSA sector, where a single end-to-end solution still doesn’t exist. Currently, Nido’s teams juggle multiple systems for property management, guest communications, and CRM. The gap between student and hotel stay requirements adds another layer of complexity, requiring tight operational coordination and system integration across teams.
When it comes to marketing, digital channels dominate. Two-thirds of students in 2024 chose their accommodation without ever stepping foot in a building. Social media is now the third most-used research tool behind Google and university websites. And it’s clear what resonates—authentic, student-generated content consistently outperforms polished brand campaigns. Suraiya and her team are leaning into that, encouraging more behind-the-scenes storytelling and organic content creation.
Looking to the future, Nido aims to grow its portfolio to 25,000 beds by 2031, with Italy and Germany next on the expansion roadmap. The brand is investing in omnichannel marketing and AI-driven search optimization to meet students where they are—online, informed, and experience-driven.
